Times Long Past
by natashas-barton
Summary: Clintasha ( little Stucky) AU: The Avengers are celebrating New Years Eve at Natasha's apartment. As all the Avengers are celebrating, old memories are brought up. As the New Year approaches, Natasha finds herself reflecting emotionally upon the past. However, she finds support in both old and new friends, and looks towards the coming year with a newfound hope and sense of closure.


Movies » Avengers » **Times Long Past**

Author: natashas-barton

Rated: K+ - English - Hurt/Comfort/Friendship - Published: 01-01-16 - Updated: 01-01-16

id:11708390

 _ **Author's Note:**_ This story is actually a chapter of my Clintasha AU, Dear Agony, but I decided to publish on it's own, in addition to it being a chapter. If you want more backstory before you read this, I would suggest reading my full fanfiction, as the chapters in Dear Agony lead up to this story. But, this chapter can stand alone as it's own story, but it follows the same events of my full fic. The story is inspired and named after the traditional Scottish song, Auld Lang Syne. I actually came up with the idea of this chapter/story while I was listening to this song. In this, I really tried to shine light on not just Natasha, but all the Avengers. It touches upon relationships between them all, as well as really focusing on Steve and Bucky's relationship. I adore these two, and decided I wanted to bring to light some of their relationship in my writing. I ship Steve and Bucky both as a brotp and an otp, but this story leans more towards a friendship, but feel free to take it however you like. I hope everyone enjoys this story, and here's to a great 2016.

It was New Year's Eve, and while the team known as the Avengers usually all got together at Tony Stark's rather extravagant household for the annual celebration, Steve had suggested that this year they go to another team member's house. While Natasha Romanoff would have been the last person the team expected to offer up their place, she willinging invited them all over to her apartment for the holiday.

It was around 6 o'clock in the afternoon when most of the guests began to show up, though Steve had gotten there early to help Natasha set up the place. Steve was dressed rather casual, with just a light blue button up and dress pants. Natasha wore a semi-formal black dress, and her hair, which was now grown out more than usual was slightly curled and had a faint brown tone to it.

Natasha insisted on keeping the party itself rather simple, but Steve had brought over a set of gold rimmed glasses and plates, as well as several different food dishes and decorations.

Natasha's apartment was a decent size, with an open living room that had a leather multi piece sofa, which was large enough to fit most of the Avengers on it. Right outside of the living room was a balcony that looked out onto the quiet city street below. The living room was connected to a kitchen, separated by an island that could serve as a bar. Natasha only had three barstools, and so Steve had brought a few over from his own place just so there was enough for all of them to sit around.

Grunting as he carried one barstool in each hand through her front door, he said,

"Well, I'm not sure if we'll be able to match Stark's New Year Parties, but once we get these stools in, everything should be good."

Shutting the door behind him, the red haired Russian stated bluntly,

"I don't think any of us could match Stark's reputation when it comes to parties. But, It'll be good to mix things up."

Shrugging in agreement as he placed the stools evenly beside one another, moving them carefully so not to scrape her floors, he then slipped on his leather jacket and headed towards the door.

"I told my friend I'd give him a ride over to your place, it's still alright if he comes, right?", Steve asked as he zipped up his jacket.

She nodded as she leaned against the granite counter and said calmly,

"You know I'm fine with it. Stark on the other hand may not agree, but hey, this isn't his place."

"And thank god it isn't. Thanks again, Nat. I know it was a rather sudden request, but it'll be good for him. I really appreciate it," Steve said as he opened the door and a blustery winter wind suddenly blew into her apartment as he did.

Natasha grabbed his keys that he had left on the counter, and as she placed them in his palm she said,

"It'll be good to see him, I'm glad he's willing to come."

Steve smiled and nodded, as he closed the door and Natasha went back to making final preparations.

About thirty minutes after Steve left, Tony and Bruce were the first to arrive, and as predicted Tony had brought a variety of his own drinks to share with everyone. Natasha greeted them both, taking Tony up on an offer for a drink, and helping him place the rest in a silver bucket with ice, that Steve had brought over. Tony immediately claimed a seat at the bar, pouring himself a scotch he turned to ask Bruce to come and join him. Bruce was quickly looking around Natasha's place, as half the Avengers had never been inside her apartment before.

"We can get a tour later Bruce!" Tony called out, but Bruce intentionally ignored him as he turned to Natasha and said kindly,

"You've got a very nice apartment here Natasha, I'm really glad we were all able to come over."

"Yes yes, we're all thrilled you took over my tradition this year," Tony joked, yet they all knew he was slightly disappointed he was deprived of a chance to hold one of his grand parties.

Tony wore a black suit and shirt, with a striking gold bow-tie, and Bruce wore a white button up with a black jacket. Tony claimed Bruce was not festive enough, and throughout the night tried to convince Bruce to wear a matching silver bow-tie. Natasha found Tony's persistence amusing, especially when Bruce finally caved and put the bow-tie on.

Thor and Maria Hill arrived shortly after, Thor dressed in a casual dark grey coat, instead of his usual gauntlets and armor, and his loose hair was kept back in a ponytail. Maria wore a dark blue cocktail dress, and her short brunette hair was curled slightly. Natasha greeted the two and eventually they all made their way into the bar and living room area.

Sitting down on one end of the couch, Thor pulled out a flask of some form of Asgardian alcohol, and asked Tony,

"Didn't you say would be attending tonight's celebration?"

"Ah-yes. I did. But...last minute work calls."

"On the Eve of a New Earth year? Is this not an important celebration for you Midgards?"

"Well, she's a busy woman. And unlike me, puts her work before partying," Tony finished bluntly.

It was only a few minutes later that Sam Wilson arrived, and he was greeted warmly by all the Avengers, especially Natasha. He hugged her quickly as he then shut the door behind her, saying,

"Hey, It's been forever, how you doing?"

"I've been doing well, just got back from a mission over in Dubai. Fury is keeping me on my feet that's for sure, but I'm hoping to get a couple weeks off. And you, I've heard you've been helping Steve with some of his work?" She replied.

The two made their way over towards the bar and grabbed themselves a drink.

"Yeah, I've been helping Steve clean up the last of Hydra. We've almost got them," Sam said with a reassuring smile, as he raised his glass to such accomplishments.

The two began to slowly catch up, as it had been over a year since Natasha had last seen Sam. As Natasha, Sam, Bruce, and Tony talked at the bar, Thor and Maria sat on the couch talking amongst themselves. But, after Natasha's dog, Lucky, made his way out into the living room, Thor instantly became intrigued with the dog. Natasha and the others couldn't help but laugh as they looked over and saw the Asgardian God, rolling around on the floor as he played with the dog. As Natasha and Sam come over to watch as Thor attempts to play fetch with Lucky, Bruce and Tony remained at the bar, deeply invested in a conversation regarding new technology for the team.

It was in the mix of all of them socializing that suddenly there was a knock at the door. Everyone's attention suddenly shifted towards the arriving guests as Natashas rushed to get the door. She opened it to Steve, who with snow covering his golden hair and jacket, struggled to balance several desserts he had picked up on the way. Behind Steve, stood Bucky Barnes, who like his friend was also covered in snow.

Steve had only recently recovered his friend from the custody of Hydra, who had tortured Bucky to the point of insanity. Steve had taken months off of SHIELD and Avengers work to track down and rescue Bucky, as well as rehabilitate him. Natasha had accompanied Steve on several of these missions and attempts to get Bucky back to his old self. While it had been a few months since she had seen him, Natasha genuinely enjoyed Bucky's company, and was even beginning to build a friendship with him, despite their past. She knew first hand what it was like to have someone you care deeply for, made someone they were not. She was devoted to help Steve as much as she could, in bringing Bucky back.

Natasha took several of the desserts from Steve, and quickly gestured for the two of them to come in. Shutting the door behind them, Natasha noticed their entrance was met by silence.

While Bucky was welcomed by Natasha and Sam, not everyone here felt the same. Thor had never seen, nor heard of Bucky, and so he looked up at him with a rather confused gaze. Yet others, like Tony, glared almost with intense disapproval that Natasha had agreed to let Bucky come. Steve noticed Tony's glare, and so gently steered Bucky away from the bar area and instead to the sofa.

Natasha broke the silence as she rushed over to Steve, throwing her arms around his snow covered shoulders in a hug. She then turned to Bucky as Steve hung up his coat and said in a genuinely amiable tone,

"I'm glad you could make it Bucky, come both of you, sit down."

Bucky stood there for a moment, blue eyes reflecting someone both very lost and almost scared, but as soon as seeing both Natasha and Sam, he began to calm down. Steve put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring nod, and Bucky exhaled slowly, as he said quietly, "I'm happy to be here, thanks for having me."

As the night went on a more casual tone fell over the party, which gave Natasha relief since the tension between Tony and Steve started to fade. Steve, Sam, and Bucky all talked amongst themselves on the couch, and Natasha was happy to see Bucky talking freely, and even laughing, with them. Meanwhile, Tony, Thor and Maria sat around the bar, drinking and listening as Thor explained how weird it was that an earth year was so short, in compared to Asgard years. Bruce had one too many to drink, partially thanks to Tony, and he had crashed on the other end of the couch. Eventually, everyone gathered around the television in the living room, as the Ball in Times Square was going to drop in thirty minutes.

Natasha sat down on the same end of the couch as Steve and Bucky, allowing herself to relax as her job as party host was nearly done. As she sat down, she saw as another confused expression appeared on Bucky's face. Natasha knew this was a common emotion felt by the Ex-Hydra soldier, as while Steve was working hard to undo the damage Hydra had inflicted upon Bucky, Bucky often found himself very confused about the most simplistic of things. Bucky was often cautious of everyday things as well, such as when he hesitated to take the drink Sam offered him earlier. Natasha knew it wasn't uncommon to see Bucky in a confused state, only to be followed by Steve leaning over and whispering an explanation in Bucky's ear. Confused and lost eyes would light up with understanding, and Steve would smile in satisfaction.

After Natasha had sat down, Bucky asked her suddenly, his voice quiet but polite,

"So, you don't live at Stark's tower?"

"No, Stark may claim his tower is home to all the Avengers, but a lot of us live on our own. I never really did live in the tower, but I've had this place for awhile. Steve, I heard you're moving out of the tower?" Natasha asked, as she turned around and looked towards him.

"Yeah, I'm actually moving back to Brooklyn. I was able to afford a small apartment, and Bucky is going to move in with me. For awhile at least, until things settle down."

Steve said with a soft smile, as he looked towards Bucky who returned the smile.

Natasha was genuinely happy to hear that, as she knew Bucky would only continue to get better. She remembered Steve telling her earlier about how Tony refused to allow Bucky anywhere near the tower. While Natasha could understand where he was coming from, she wished Stark would be more open to getting to know Bucky. She knew Bucky was a good person, and like her at one point, he just got caught up with the wrong people. But then again, that was just Stark.

Natasha remembered very clearly how reserved and cold he was towards her after Clint died, and in contrast how Steve basically took care of her. Five years later, and Tony would still refrain from showing much emotion if Clint was ever mentioned, and he continued to be very indifferent towards her when it came to emotions. She knew he had nothing against her or Clint, he was just too uncomfortable to show such a vulnerable side to him.

Thor had managed to find a box of party supplies that Steve had found in the tower, and he openly began to state his confusion on why the people of Earth would celebrate the "glorious" event of a New Year, with cheap hats and party horns.

"Because the people of Earth are cheap," Hill replied bluntly.

"Hey! All that cost almost forty dollars," Tony chimed in quickly, he didn't appreciate being called cheap.

As the box was passed around for everyone to take a hat, Thor examined each hat carefully, as if mystified by the simplicity of it. Lucky had managed to get ahold of a hat, and the dog quickly ran towards Natasha's bedroom to chew it up.

"Oh you little..." Natasha scoffed as she ran after the dog, and wrestled the soggy hat away from him.

Bucky took a spare hat that laid on the couch, and put it on Steve's head. Steve smiled as he handed his friend a little party horn.

Natasha made her way back to the couch and smiled as she observed the two, who were almost acting like children. Seeing Bucky so happy and almost normal, made her forget for a second that he was the assassin who shot her over twenty years ago. But then again, she really was no different than Bucky. Natasha recognized that Steve was trying to give Bucky another chance at life, just as Clint had done for her all those years ago.

As Natasha sat down next to Bucky, Lucky leapt up and settled down between the two. While Bucky was scared of the dog earlier, now he calmly stroked Lucky's golden fur with his metal arm. Lucky's head looked upward, ears perked as the dog licked Bucky right on the cheek. After Bucky finally got the dog to settle down, as Steve and Natasha talked for a moment, he observed her apartment carefully.

It was decorated and furnished in a very subtle and modern way, with a very simple set up. She preferred it that way, because the apartment always felt clean and not too overwhelming. Yet, there were still touches of sentiment within the interior of the apartment.

On the mantle above the fireplace, next to a black clock, was a small framed picture of her late husband, Clint Barton. It was one of her favorite pictures of him, taken on their wedding night. Bruce had decided to bring his camera and take photographs of the two that night, since there was no photographer hired. Natasha had no idea when it was taken during the night, but Bruce had managed to get a photo of Clint looking lovingly at her, his eyes warm and filled with life. About a year after he died, Bruce found and framed the photo, and gave it to Natasha. In addition to the small picture, there was an arrow mounted on the wall above the mantle. On their last mission, when SHIELD had found them, there were two arrows in Clint's quiver. Natasha had one buried with him, and she kept the other, eventually putting it up on her wall. These were all very small, maybe to most meaningless, touches, but yet they meant everything to Natasha.

It was as Steve was in the kitchen, that Bucky turned to Natasha and asked as he pointed to the photo on her mantle,

"Who is that?"

It was a seemingly innocent question, and Bucky didn't think much of it when asking, because he was used to asking Steve anything when he was confused. But Natasha was taken off guard by his question, as her green eyes suddenly reflected an uncomfortable and almost frantic gaze. She found herself speechless, as her throat tightened and she felt her stomach drop.

Looking down at her hands, she said in a low and quiet voice, "just, an old friend of mine."

Steve was coming back with several mugs of hot chocolate when he saw Bucky look up to him, as if for help. Eyes concerned as he handed a mug to Bucky, Steve turned to Natasha and asked,

"Is everything okay?"

Natasha nodded half heartedly, and said as she stood up, "Yeah. I just-I need a moment..." Her voice trailed off, as she placed a hand on Lucky's head and then walked away to her room.

Bucky turned to Steve, eyes showing concern that somehow he upset someone he was beginning to _consider a friend._

"I don't know what I did..."

Natasha had closed her door, and went to sit down at the end of her bed. Frustratedly, she ran her hands through her hair, exhaling slowly as she tried to calm herself down. Ten minutes till the New Year, and she was in her room trying to pull herself together.

It had been five years now, and yet as strong as Natasha was, it didn't get any easier. The holidays were already hard enough without him. Whenever the team got together, his absence was always felt by Natasha. But now he wasn't just absent, he was unknown. She didn't have the heart to try and explain everything to Bucky, but the mere thought of it all was enough to bring her close to tears.

Looking at the clock, she sighed, realizing she would have to go back out there to celebrate the New Year, to celebrate another year she would be alone _._

 _It was ten minutes until midnight, and Natasha Romanoff already had her expectations for the night. She had just returned from a recon mission in Moscow yesterday, and while the mission wasn't too dangerous, she was glad to have a few days off of work._

 _She had returned home to a dark apartment, empty in exception for the young dog who pounced playfully at her feet as soon as she walked in the door. After settling Lucky down, and changing out of her combat suit into loose sweatpants and a tank, she settled on the couch in the living room, phone pressed to her ear,_

 _"Hey Nat, you home already?", Clint answered._

 _"Yeah, the enemy intel was more easy to acquire than we thought it was going to be." She answered softly, her voice tired yet confident._

 _"You didn't get hurt or anything right?"_

 _"Clint please, it was just a recon mission. I'm fine, just figuring out what to do with myself for the next couple day."_

 _"Just making sure, I never know with you. How long do you have off?"_

 _"I don't have to go back to work till January 4th. Do you think you're going to be back for the New Year?" Natasha asked hesitantly._

 _Clint was over in Germany, on a mission to track and assassinate the leaders of a rogue terrorist organization. He had been gone for almost two weeks, and it had been over a month since she had last seen him._

 _"My team's on the trail of the hostiles, but we lost more than half our men yesterday. I don't really know, but if we can intercept them tonight then you can count on me coming home in time. However if you don't hear from me by tomorrow afternoon, we probably had to chase them into enemy territory. It would be too risky to call from there."_

 _"Okay, listen Clint don't worry about it. Just focus on your mission, you aren't hurt are you?"_

 _"No, no I'm fin-"_

 _He was cut off by the sound of gunfire, and the shouting of troops. Before Natasha could say anything, he said quickly, his voice sounding out of breath,_

 _"I have to go, I love you Tasha."_

 _And then the call ended. She leaned back into the couch, grabbing her knees as she tried to calm down. It made her feel uneasy whenever she was home and he was out on a mission, but she had faith that like all other times, he would be fine._

 _She never received a call the following day, and so as she sat on a barstool looking at the clock which read 11:56, she knew she would be spending New Years alone. She didn't really care that she was alone, but as she sat there, she couldn't help but worry for Clint._

 _Exhaling slowly, she realized there wasn't much she could do, and worrying would get her nowhere. She slipped on a light jacket, and stepped out onto the apartment's balcony. Since it was covered, snow didn't cover the ground, but her barefoot feet were still chilled by the New York winter's air. Lucky bounded out onto the balcony with her, sitting down calmly by her feet._

 _She walked up to the edge, placing her arms on the railing as her emerald eyes looked through the thick flurries of snow at the city's skyline. Perhaps she would hear, maybe even see, some of the fireworks from Times Square as the clock struck twelve._

 _She breathed in the sharp cold air slowly, eyes closing as she listened carefully for the celebration across the city to begin. The violent winter winds blew harshly against her face, but she hardly seemed to mind, perhaps even enjoying the intense cold._

 _Suddenly, the sound of fireworks broke the silence, and in the distance booms and even cheers could be heard. Natasha opened her eyes, seeing the distant lights she smiled, realizing, another year was gone and past._

 _It had been a good year, as it marked her and Clint's second anniversary, and while they were gone on missions half the time, they had a good one together. He had surprised her by claiming they had a mission in Austria, when really, he was taking her there to celebrate their anniversary. Ironically, trouble always seemed to find the two as they happened to run into, and eventually fight and intercept, two SHIELD fugitives who were attempting to assassinate the Chancellor of Austria._

 _This was also the year in which Clint came home with a wounded, one-eyed dog, who would soon become their family pet, Lucky. Natasha wasn't thrilled at the idea of having a dog, but after Clint told the story of how the dog was hit by a car when protecting him from some thugs, how could she refuse. However, Natasha was beginning to enjoy the dog's company, especially when she returned home to an empty house._

 _She didn't know what the year ahead of them stored, but she was just grateful to be where she was in her life. Ten years ago, she never imagined she would be anything other than a KGB assassin, let alone married and apart of the greatest team of heroes on earth. Natasha wasn't one to get emotional about her life, but she realized how fortunate she truly was._

 _Lucky suddenly leapt up from her feet, and she didn't think anything of it until she heard his claws scrape across the floor rapidly, as he practically ran towards the open door to the apartment. Turning around quickly, ready to yell at the fool of a dog, she stood there stunned, emerald widened in disbelief._

 _Clint Barton stood there silently, leaning against the doorway. His bow dropped down by his feet, as well as his other packs and weapons. Lucky pounced up on his legs joyfully, but Clint's attention wasn't on the dog. The side of his face had a stream of blood that ran from his temple, and he had a bandage that wrapped around his forehead. His black uniform was torn, and there was even a small bit of blood on the floor he stood on. But his grey blue eyes reflected not pain nor exhaustion, but a longing intimacy. A loving smile appeared on his scarred and bloodied face, but before either of them could say a word she ran up to him._

 _She gently wrapped her arms around his side, as he placed both his hands softly on her cheeks. The two collided seamlessly, her lips meeting his as she closed her eyes and felt his reassuring strong arms hold her close. There were no words needed between the two, because nothing else mattered besides the fact that they were together._

 _Looking up at him, she spoke suddenly, "You're hurt."_

 _He merely shrugged, saying, "It's nothing serious. My team was ambushed, it was pretty brutal. I made the call to pull out when there were just me and two other guys left. I didn't want to abort, but we were outnumbered. We're not sure if one of the survivors is going to make it, but I'm fine."_

 _She ever so gently touched the gash in his temple, eyes firm and worried as she said, "Come on, let's get this stitched up."_

 _She sat him down on the couch and after grabbing a first aid kit from under the sink, began to work at his wounds. Her thin fingers worked gingerly to clean and sew up the several lacerations on his head and arms. As he walked she noticed he had a limp and trailed blood, she later found out he had a gunshot wound in his leg. As she patched him up, she listened as he explained the mission more in depth. There was guilt weighing down in his voice, but she tried her best to get through to him, that the team's losses weren't his fault._

 _She went to go put away the kit in the bathroom, and grab a blanket from her bedroom. When she returned, Clint had managed to make his way over into the kitchen and back, and he waited for her on the couch with two glasses of champagne._

 _Despite the fact that he disobeyed her order to "stay still", she couldn't help but smile as she sat down next to him and took the glass. He raised his glass up to hers, as he spoke softly, "Happy New Years, Nat."_

 _Clinking her glass against his, her eyes softened as she replied back quietly yet lovingly, "Happy New Years, Clint."_

 _After drinking down the champagne, Natasha found herself lying beside Clint on the couch, a blanket draped over both of them. Lucky laid below them on the carpet. While watching the celebration in Times Square, Natasha had slowly dozed off and fell asleep in his arms, and her head laid on his chest. Before closing his eyes, he gently kissed the top of her head. Part of him knew he wouldn't have so easily aborted a mission, if it weren't for Natasha. He didn't have the sacrificial nature he once had before meeting her, because he knew he couldn't leave her alone. Yet as the night went on, he knew that being here tonight, with her, was worth the failed mission._

Natasha looked at the clock, four minutes until midnight. She exhaled slowly, realizing that despite her personal discomfort, she didn't want to celebrate New Years alone, when her friends were in her living room. She reached forward and opened the drawer of her nightstand, delicately grabbing a picture. As she looked down at it, she suddenly heard the soft creak of the door hinges. Turning her head slowly, she saw Bucky standing in the doorway.

His head was lowered, and his blue eyes warm yet sympathetic, as he spoke up, his voice very gentle,

"Could I come in...for a minute?"

She nodded quickly, unsure of what to expect as he slowly made his way over and sat next to her. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke up more confidently,

"Steve explained it all to me. Natasha, I'm so sorry I brought it u-"

"No, Bucky. It's fine, you didn't know. I shouldn't have overreacted," She said impassively.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two, and Natasha figured that's all he had to say. She knew she shouldn't have acted so cold, because in reality Bucky was just trying to figure her out. She turned towards him to ask if he wanted to go back out with the others, but before she could say anything Bucky spoke,

"He sounded like an amazing person."

Natasha's eyes warmed as she locked gazes with Bucky, smiling sadly at him she replied thoughtfully,

"He was."

She looked down at the picture she held in her hand, and then handed it to Bucky. It was a photo of her and Clint at their wedding. Clint had his arms wrapped around her, as he smiled lovingly at her. She was looking at him, laughing warmly as he held her. The setting sun shone through the trees above and casted a golden light over the two.

"We were married for almost three years, though that was after seven years of knowing we loved each other, but just not ready to commit to anything. Just like Steve is doing for you, he gave me a better life."

There was a short pause before she continued, her eyes dry but her expressions and tone still very melancholy,

"I miss him, a lot. But, I know he would want me to keep going, so that's what I do. I keep fighting."

As Natasha finished she finally stood up, eyes dry but her expressions and tone still very melancholy. Bucky looked at the picture, and found himself feeling a great sense of sadness for Natasha. She looked happy, happier than he had ever seen her. When comparing the radiant woman in the picture to the reserved woman in front of him, he realized how much she had lost. He had a newfound respect for her, as he could not imagine losing someone so close to him, and yet having the strength to continue to fight. As she left the room, he laid the picture on her bed, and followed her out of the room to rejoin everyone in the living room.

The Times Square Ball was dropping as there were only ninety seconds until the start of a new year. Everyone was gathered around the television, drinks in hand, ready to celebrate as soon as the countdown hit zero. As Natasha sat down at the end of the couch, Steve made his way over to her and wrapped one arm around her. She leaned into him for a moment, grateful for every moment he had been there for her, but then stood back up to make room for Bucky on the sofa.

Tony had managed to wake Bruce, and both of them stood at the back of the sofa, eyes on the television. Maria and Sam both had their feet kicked up on the ottoman, and Thor sat on the ground where he pet the dog who sat beside him. Steve handed Bucky a drink, smiling as he, ready to celebrate their first New Year together since 1945.

Ten seconds until the New Year, and Natasha found herself standing alone on the balcony, once again. The frigid breeze blew against her as flakes of snow were blown into her face and hair. She hardly seemed to be bothered by the wintery conditions, as she placed her arms on the railings which were covered in ice.

Simultaneously she heard her friends inside cheer as the countdown hit zero, and the crack of fireworks boomed in the distance. As the tune of Auld Lang Syne played and the television showed couples embrace and kiss in Times Square, the Avengers all clinked their glasses together, hollering and cheering "Happy New Years!". Lucky circled around everyone and barked because of the excitement in the room. Steve and Bucky hugged, as Thor blew one of the small party horns.

Natasha could hear the joyous celebration from her living room, a small smile appeared on her face as she heard her friends cheer together. She silently looked up at the ebony night sky. It was hard for her not to dwell in the past, as she thoughtfully remembered exactly six years ago, when she stood alone on this same cold balcony. Yet, unlike six years ago, she knew that Clint would never come home.

The sound of the balcony door opening made her startle, as she looked back she was surprised to see Tony of all people, standing in the doorway. He didn't have a coat on, but he didn't seem to mind the cold or the snow. Holding a glass of wine in each of his hands, he made his way towards the railing of the balcony, and gently handed her a glass.

For a moment the two stood in silence, his eyes looking up towards the starry night sky, and her eyes looking down at the glass he handed her, and her own hands. Tony looked towards her warmly, eyes meeting hers as he raised his glass and said, "For old times."

Her eyes met his as she raised her own glass to meet his, saying in a distant voice, "And for times to come."

They drank and stood in silence for a few moments more, and the patter of snowflakes hitting the ground was the only sound to be heard. Setting down her glass, Natasha looked down as she removed her wedding ring from her finger, and carefully put it in her coat pocket. As much as she wanted to cling to the past, she knew she had to let go. She would never forget, but slowly, she would find the peace and closure to move on.

Tony outstretched his hand, as he grasped her thin hand gently, she willingly came back inside with him. She sat down on the floor beside Lucky and Thor, looking up at the god she smiled as she said,

"Lucky really likes you."

"Ah, well I enjoy him. He is a great companion, where did you get him."

Smiling she said warmly, "A story for another time, but you'll have to see if Jane will soften up to having a pet."

Thor laughed, though she could tell he was already thinking that, "Yes, I'm sure I can find a way to persuade her."

Natasha spent the next hour talking with the whole team. The topic of the conversation seemed to change every couple minutes, from Tony's crazy invention ideas to Steve telling a rather embarrassing story about himself when he and Bucky were kids. They reminisced on older times, and set, even if slightly unrealistic, optimistic goals for the future. Sure, the band of agents, gods, and monsters were only assembled to save the world. But while doing so, they all became as close to family as any of them would ever get. Even if they were the Avengers, tonight they were no different than any other group of friends, getting together to celebrate the start of a New Year, together.

By the end of the night, even Tony and Bucky seemed to be getting along. As it got late, almost everyone began to say their goodbyes and head out. Tony took back some of his alcohol, but also let Natasha pick a few bottles which she could keep for herself. Thor took almost five minutes to say goodbye to Lucky, and Bruce somehow managed to stumble out the door, half asleep. Finally, the only two to remain were Steve and Bucky.

Steve helped clean up the party plates and cups that were scattered around her apartment, as well as take down the decorations around her kitchen and living room. Bucky had also been helping, but after twenty minutes of cleaning, Natasha found him sound asleep on the couch, with Lucky curled up next to him.

Smiling at the two, she brought the rest of the trash she picked up over to Steve, who helped her haul the garbage bags out of her place. Steve reached for his leather jacket and Bucky's black jacket and hat. Turning around towards Natasha, he said finally,

"Well, I think it was a pretty successful party.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you and Bucky could come."

Steve nodded and said kindly, "I am too, he enjoyed himself. I think even Tony warmed up to him a little. Hopefully, one day, he'll be back to his old self, and possibly even join the team."

"As long as he has you, I have a feeling he's going to be fine," Natasha said.

Steve nodded firmly, looking from Natasha to the arrow above her mantle, smiling sadly he asked carefully,

"You okay?"

"Yeah, actually...I am doing okay," she replied confidently, her words truthful.

He nodded and said under his breath, "That's good". He still felt bad that Bucky brought up unwanted emotions in her earlier, but he was happy to see she didn't appear upset. Noticing the ring, which she had worn for almost eight years, was absent from her finger, he was slightly relieved to see she was slowly moving on.

Kneeling down next to Bucky, Steve gently shook his metal shoulder and woke him, telling him it was time to go. As Bucky put on his jacket and hat, Natasha opened her front door, saying, "You both are welcome to come back over whenever you want."

"I'll be sure to take you up on that." Steve said with a smile as he ushered a sleepy Bucky out the door.

Just before leaving, Steve pulled out a small wrapped gift from his jacket, placing it into her hand he said, "Happy New Years, Natasha."

The two embraced in a short hug one more time, and then Steve and Bucky went on their way. Natasha, finally alone, sighed in relief as she fell back onto the couch. She unwrapped the small gift, to a simple black frame, and in it, a photograph of all the original Avengers. It took a moment for her to remember, but suddenly she recalled that it was the time they spent their first New Years at Tony's. Tony had convinced them all to go on the tower's top balcony to get a picture, and while there was a large bit of complaining and questioning that went into getting the group shot, Tony made it happen. The picture was taken ten years ago, and that was evident because they all looked much younger, well except for Steve and Thor, they didn't really age. Natasha smiled fondly as she put the picture on her mantle, on the other side of the clock.

Turning off the lights, she grabbed a blanket and decided to sleep on the sofa. She called out for Lucky, and as soon as the dog leapt up and laid down next to her, she pulled the blanket over both of them. Running her hand through his golden coat, she said quietly, "Here's to another good year, Luck."

The dog's tail wagged and he licked the side of her cheek. She wrapped her arm around him, and soon they both fell asleep.

 **Readers of my full fanfiction would know that, yes in this AU Clint and Natasha were married but he passed away several years ago. I hope this plot point wasn't too surprising and tragic for those who haven't read Dear Agony, but that you enjoyed the story nonetheless.**

 **As always, thank you for taking the time to read my work. I've been wanting to send out PM's thanking all who have left a review, but for some reason I can't view half my reviews, which is weird, but I'm still getting some, just not all. So, if you leave a review and I don't send you a thank you PM in the next couple days, I apologize. Maybe leave a review through PM. I hope all of my readers have had a wonderful holiday season, and will continue to have a wonderful 2016. Happy New Years to all.**


End file.
